Letters to the editor: Readers react as COVID strains medical resources

Despite a drop in the number of hospital patients for COVID-19, the disease continues to strain critical care resources." American-Statesman readers shared their reaction.

The evidence is all around,

yet some of us still refuse

As a physician, I am in full support of President Biden's mandates to defeat the COVID pandemic, because it is obvious that too many Americans have not stepped up to the task. To those I say: 

While first responders work to the point of exhaustion, you refuse. While overwhelmed doctors, nurses and hospital workers fight to save lives, you refuse. The citizenry continues to fall ill, and you refuse. While the elderly die, you refuse. 

While our children miss school, you refuse. While businesses fail, you refuse. 

Hundreds of thousands have died, nonetheless you refuse. There is self-sacrifice all around you, yet you refuse. 

What small ignoble personal freedom is so important that you still refuse? 

Ivri K. Messinger, Cedar Creek

Choice to not vaccinate leads

to canceled surgeries for others

Greetings from The Cleveland Clinic where I just had the first of two obstructive kidney stone surgeries instead of in my home city of Austin due to Texas hospitals being overwhelmed with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients.

Vaccination has been sadly politicized. Freedom has been espoused as a basis not to be vaccinated. Choosing to be unvaccinated means responsible, vaccinated, masked Texans are having significant surgeries postponed or canceled. Meanwhile, our leaders are pursuing litigation to eliminate mask mandates in our schools. Where’s the fairness here?

One would hope that our leaders would care as much for the living as they profess to care about the unborn. Why isn’t good citizenship by the vast majority of good-hearted Texans loudly commended? Why should responsible Texans have to wait for surgery because irresponsible Texans are taking up ICU beds? Doesn’t it seem our state leadership has its priorities backwards?

Eric Galton, Austin

Seatbelts, speed limits and other

infringements on our freedoms

We should all thank Gov. Greg Abbott for his amazing leadership during the pandemic. He is protecting our right to infect ourselves, our families, friends and neighbors. 

Let's hope that he and his colleagues will now turn their attention to other flagrant infringements on our freedoms, like seatbelts, building codes, speed limits, food safety standards, drunken-driving laws, school vaccine requirements, and licensing for doctors and pilots. The list goes on and on.

Yes, leadership at its finest.

Linda Couvillion, Fredericksburg

The parallels between the warnings

about the pandemic and our climate

I find it fascinating to see the parallels between the issues of climate and the pandemic, and the public response to the warnings of scientists.

The scientific community gave advanced warnings of both and urged citizens that if they didn’t take these issues seriously, there would be dire consequences. As a result, we are  seeing the consequences of both.

The refusal of so many Texans to prepare for the pandemic by mass vaccinations and the refusal of our citizenry to reduce greenhouse gasses brings us to where we are today. Our state now has hospitals overflowing with massive loss of life and a disastrous climate that is costing us billions of dollars and needless deaths.

When will our state leadership wake up and protect us from both?

Dale Bulla, Austin